The present invention relates to therapies for the prevention and treatment of postpartum depression, as well as other psychological disturbances that develop after childbirth.
It has long been recognized that psychological disturbances are very common in the postpartum period, usually beginning within 6 weeks after delivery. The psychological conditions can range from "maternity blues," which are usually mild, to a more severe depression, which is known to occur in fully 10% of postpartum women. Depression can have psychological effects that last for several months and occasionally even longer. A related concern is the impaired cognitive abilities and delayed social development that can be seen in the children of women who have experienced postpartum depression. At least a part of the explanation for postpartum depression is the changing hormone milieu in the woman's body following childbirth. Estrogen hormone achieves and maintains a high level during pregnancy and then drops precipitously within 48 hours after delivery to nearly the follicular level, which is the lowest level in a normally menstruating woman. This causes an acute estrogen withdrawal state, which could have effects on psychological and mental functioning. In this regard postpartum depression has been treated successfully with estrogen. In other reports estrogen has been administered immediately after childbirth to prevent recurrence of depression and other psychological disorders in women who are at risk of developing these problems in the postpartum period. Various antidepressant drugs, such as lithium, tricyclic compounds and serotonin-specific reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), have been used in postpartum depression with varying degrees of success. There is, however, concern about their side effects and their safety in breastfeeding women. Treatment with large doses of estrogen is also a concern in breastfeeding women. Safer, effective therapies for treating and preventing postpartum depression continue to be sought.